Before I start the review, I have to issue this warning: there is a scene in the movie that may be considered far too rough to be considered consensual sex. It's definitely ambiguous and I can see how this could be a trigger for those who have unfortunately experienced rape. One thing it is not is gratuitous, in my honest opinion.
That being said, this is one of the most sensual, erotic and unabashedly sexual mainstream films I have ever seen. The story is set in 1930's and 40's China under Japanese occupation and the movie is based on a novella of the same name by Eileen Chang. A student drama group at a university decides to become a terrorist/freedom fighter group aimed at destroying Japanese hold upon the Chinese people. Those Chinese who are collaborators especially draw their ire for obvious reasons. They write and perform plays to raise money and consciousness about the plight of their people.
They make the brave and ultimately foolish move to act as spies, though they are untrained. Using the considerable wealth of one member's family, they set themselves up as members of society's elite. Through a childhood contact of yet another group member, the fictional young Mak family (Tang Wei plays Mrs. Mak) begins to socialize with one of the highest-ranking officials within the traitorous government, Mr. Yee. "Mrs. Mak", who is young and lovely, is assigned the task of seducing Yee after he showed an undeniable interest in her. After relocating to Shanghai and being properly recruited in the rebellion and trained as spies, Mak and Yee begin their affair in earnest while Mak is the guest of Yee's wife in their household.
It is this scene that is at best, very rough sex. While Mak was trying to undress seductively, Yee loses patience throws her up against the wall tearing her dress and undergarments before forcing her on the bed. After the encounter Yee tosses her the coat she wore in and as he leaves the room, Mak's smile shows a look of satisfaction. Like I said, this part is ambiguous and while I haven't made up my mind what is going on, I'm leaning more toward rough sex due to Mak's smile.
Their later sex scenes are extremely graphic. I mean, GRAPHIC. I honestly can't believe that Tang Wei and Tony Leung Chiu-Wai weren't actually fucking. It was extremely pornographic, which means I was very happy with it! I was surprised that my college's library, an institution that, by the way, enforces a summertime dress code on its 18+, tuition paying group of adult students, had the uncut, NC-17 version of the film. Thank. The. GODDESS! Thanks to Sex Info 101 (which I'll profile in a different piece), I can show you some of the moves the two performed, full-frontal, wildly sensual and oh my Goddess. So they did this one and that one and my favorite here. And all variations thereof. Seriously, you could see the actors' pubic areas grinding against each other in all their silky, hairy glory.
As the movie goes on, Mak transitions from loving/hating Yee touching her to absolutely falling for him to the point of betraying her allies. Yee commissions a gorgeous diamond ring to be made to her specifications and upon putting it on her finger, Mak tells him to run. Yee, who was always very paranoid about his safety due to his position within both Chinese and Japanese society, took her advice seriously and escaped the assassination due to take place upon their vacating the store. Mak leaves and attempts to meet Yee at the location they planned to visit later. Upon arriving at the street we see it is blocked off for an unknown reason.
Off-camera she is arrested along side the very friends and compatriots she betrayed. This was reported by Yee's head of security who knew that Mak was a plant. When Yee inquired why he wasn't informed of this fact earlier, his security head tells him that it was due to the relationship. At ten o'clock that night, Mak and her college classmates are assassinated. Afterward, the ring is returned to Yee and he later sits in the room she occupied as a guest in his house both mourning her loss and stoicly going on with his duties.
0 comments:
Post a Comment